[Warning: If you are interested in a calm, comfortable life, this blog will be counterproductive for you.]

Thursday, July 10, 2014

I Changed My Mornings And It Changed My Life

I’ve recently made a change that is having a wonderful impact on my life. Being able to blog regularly again is one of the smaller benefits, actually. I’ve wanted to for a long time, but had a hard time finding time to do it.

Then two months ago, I decided to craft a great morning routine. My days are full of distractions and demands and it’s hard to squeeze in some crucial activities. But have much more control over what I do just after waking up.

Great mornings make the rest of the day better. And better days add up to a better life.

Here’s my new morning routine:

  • Read, pray, re-focus my life for 30 min
  • Exercise for 30 min (I use the T25 workout videos)
  • Shower and dress for the day (and shave, etc)—this takes me about 20 min
  • Eat breakfast for 10 min—every morning I drink a protein shake, a healthy energy drink, and take vitamins
  • Write for 30 min (my blogs, my next book, etc)

Note: I don’t exercise on the weekends and I sometimes make a big breakfast for my family.

That’s two hours long. My old morning routine was only 20 min—that’s how fast I can do the minimum required: shower, shave, and dress. (Yes, getting ready as a man is much easier than for women—but let’s save issue that for another post.)

We are primarily products of our weekly habits. I want spiritual health, physical energy, creative expression, and a positive impact on the world. So I’m doing something for these important areas every morning.

What elements make up your definition of a great life? Put each element into your morning routine. On the flip side, are there parts of your daily routine that aren’t truly important to you? Are you wasting some of your precious morning routine on these things? 

You may notice that I don’t check email in the morning. That’s not because I don’t love my job. I have an amazing job. But I will spend the heart of every weekday on work projects. My morning routine is reserved for precious items that often get crowded out of my life. 

Thanks to my new routine, I’m losing weight without being on a diet (I also track calories throughout the day as well, but that’s another post), I’m growing spiritually, and I’m writing again. I’m much more satisfied with who I am and how I’m living. And all I changed was my morning routine.

You will enact your morning routine THOUSANDS of times in your life. What kind of life do you want? Craft a morning routine that matches that. Choose to do more than the minimum.

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